Pet Care Advice

General pet care

Whatever your pet, from the tiniest mouse to the largest dog, you’ll want to keep them happy and healthy all year round. Here at Alder vets we are happy to offer advice on any aspect of pet care – from buying a pet to vaccinating to nutrition… Call us anytime for advice.

Here are some basics to help.

Vaccinating your pet

Make sure you protect your pets and keep them safe by keeping up to date with their vaccinations.

When puppies and kittens are born they are usually protected from infections by their mother’s milk, providing she has been regularly vaccinated. However, this protection only lasts a few weeks so they need regular vaccinations from an early age.

Puppies are typically vaccinated at eight and 10 weeks, kittens at nine and 12 weeks, with an initial course of two injections. Your young pet should then be given a booster 12 months after their first vaccination.

Rabbits need regular vaccinations too.

Older pets need protecting too, as their immunity can decline. Speak to us as the regularity of your pets vaccinations can vary depending on the diseases prevalent in your area.

Microchipping your pet

Microchipping your pet gives them the best chance of being identified and returned to you if they become lost or stolen.

Neutering your pet

Neutering can help prevent illnesses and some unwanted behaviours.

If you wish to get your pet neutered the best thing to do is speak to us here at Alder Vets. We will be able to advise you about the cost and the best time to neuter your pet, you do not need to let an animal have one litter first.

Neutering has benefits that apply not only to dogs and cats but also to other animals such as rabbits and ferrets. These include:

Preventing females coming into season, when they may attract unwanted male attention, become pregnant or have false pregnancies.

Preventing the risk of testicular cancer in males and uterus infections and cancers in females.

In male dogs and cats, neutering can reduce urine marking and roaming.

Neutering can reduce aggressive behaviour in mature male ferrets, as well as the smell often associated with them! Neutering a female ferret can also prevent often severe health problems such as alopecia and anaemia.

Unspayed female animals can be messy when they come into season - during this time, females can bleed for up to three weeks.

Neutering animals can reduce the risk of them being stolen for breeding.

Keep fleas at bay

Fleas can be a problem even in the most spotless home or on the cleanest pet. We can supply a variety of flea treatments – ask us for advice.

Get your pet wormed

Healthy looking animals can carry worms, so it’s important to worm pets regularly. Worms can cause suffering, illness and even death. Some types of worms can be spread between pets and people and can cause diseases.

Pet obesity

Obesity is as an excess of body fat that is enough to impair health, welfare and quality of life. It can affect all types of pet. The main cause is from eating too much or not exercising enough, although some diseases can cause obesity.

Obesity in people is generally 20-25 per cent above ideal bodyweight. This is likely to be similar in pets, however will vary. Obesity is a serious issue and is a preventable problem. It causes a lot of unnecessary suffering and can be extremely disabling.

Nutrition and exercise advice will help – talk to us at your next annual health check.